LAMBRINI GIRLS – You’re Welcome EP

When confronted with a cartoon of a burning turd on a release’s artwork, there’s a hint that you might be about to encounter something with a lack of subtlety. When it comes to Brighton’s Lambrini Girls, “a lack of subtlety” only really scratches the surface when it comes to describing a fantastic musical assault. On their 2023 EP ‘You’re Welcome’, their mix of anger, social commentary and musical punch is so needed that such absolute directness is vital.

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MOTHER OF GRAVES – In Somber Dreams EP

Hailing from Indiana, Mother of Graves take massive musical cues from My Dying Bride and early Paradise Lost and apply those sounds to the broader musical canvases of the likes of Swallow The Sun. From the off, the material on this debut EP (originally released in 2021) really values huge, dark melodies, but in order for those metallic backdrops to not sound too commercial – relatively speaking – a really abrasive melodic death metal growl has also been applied. This, at least at first, sounds like an act of slight self-sabotage since the bulk of the music would definitely be better suited to a Type O Negative influenced croon. There’s nothing about that voice – even at its most extreme – that will be too off-putting to the hardened doom fan, of course, but it might stop the material appealing to a broader spectrum of metal fans.

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DAS KAPITANS – Lungs EP

The thirteenth release from Das Kapitans (2022’s ‘Debut’) marked a turning point for the band. Not only was it the first release where all of the band members played on all tracks, but the album appeared to have a much more confident and bigger sound. Bigger didn’t necessarily mean more commercial, of course, and on numbers like ‘That’ll Do Pig’ and ‘Big Muff’, their combination of post punk anger and Mudhoney-esque energy sounded absolutely furious. It was the kind of album that captured the band’s raw essence perfectly. If that didn’t help to build their fan base via enthusiastic word of mouth via the internet, nothing would. Not that Das Kapitans are in it for the fame and fortune; as founders of the Socks On record label, their commitment to the ideals of a musical collective and keeping things DIY is solid, and the music comes above everything else.

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LOVE LANGUAGE – Indian Cowboy EP

On their 2021 EP ‘Trying To Reach You’ Canadian alt-rock band Love Language found themselves dabbling with a number of different styles. On the release’s lead track ‘Design’, they gleefully placed a sixties pop twang beneath a lax vocal that created something that sounded like Kim Gordon fronting a surf rock band. Throughout ‘Lucked Out’, they took the 90s slacker vibe and fused it with music that never seemed a million miles away from Cowboy Junkies supplied with extra reverb. It was one of those EPs where, no matter where you dropped in, the music had a pleasingly nostalgic feel, whilst still feeling relevant.

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